Safaricom has partnered with iXAfrica Data Centres to launch East Africa’s first AI-ready data centre, marking a significant milestone in the region’s digital transformation. This collaboration aims to provide scalable, cost-effective infrastructure solutions for enterprises and government agencies, particularly those integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their operations.
The partnership introduces enterprise and cloud suites starting at 350kW, with scalability options exceeding 1MW. These suites are designed to support high-density computing, advanced cooling systems, and the resilience required for modern AI workloads. Integrated connectivity solutions will leverage the strengths of both Safaricom and iXAfrica to serve businesses across East Africa.
Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, emphasised the importance of robust, scalable, and secure infrastructure solutions to support the next wave of innovation, including AI workloads. He stated that this partnership enhances Safaricom’s enterprise portfolio with premium data centre services that meet global standards while supporting sustainable digital growth.
Guy Willner, Chairman of iXAfrica, highlighted the synergy between technological excellence and market leadership in this collaboration. He noted that combining iXAfrica’s AI-ready infrastructure with Safaricom’s market presence and customer relationships creates a digital ecosystem poised to accelerate innovation.
The data centre, known as NBOX1, is a Tier III standard carrier-neutral facility located at iXAfrica’s Nairobi Campus. It boasts an IT capacity of 22.5MW, making it the largest data centre project in Greater East Africa.
The facility utilises Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Data Centres architecture, ensuring maximum resilience, uptime, and cost efficiency. It also supports a 99.999% uptime guarantee and a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.25 across the campus.
This initiative is expected to have a transformative impact on Kenya’s digital economy by attracting both local and international businesses, fostering innovation, creating jobs, and boosting economic growth. By providing a world-class facility for cloud services, the data centre positions Kenya as a premier technology and innovation hub in Africa.
